WPI breaks away from halftime tie, tops field hockey 3-1

Mollee Malboeuf scored her third goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1 in Mount Holyoke's 3-1 loss to WPI on Sept. 24, 2022. (RJB Sports file photo)
Mollee Malboeuf scored her third goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1 in Mount Holyoke's 3-1 loss to WPI on Sept. 24, 2022. (RJB Sports file photo)

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- Lauren Meinhold scored a pair of goals and Samantha Robison added two assists to lift WPI to a 3-1 victory over the Mount Holyoke College field hockey team in NEWMAC play on Saturday afternoon.

All three of WPI's goals came on penalty corners, where the Engineers (4-5, 2-0 NEWMAC) earned an 12-3 advantage. WPI outshot Mount Holyoke by a 32-4 margin in the game.

Meinhold put the Engineers ahead in the fourth minute of the game, converting an assist from Natalie Mohn on the first penalty corner of the game.

Sophomore goalie Rachel Katzenberg (Reisterstown, Md.) made four saves after WPI's initial goal before the Lyons evened the score with 7:13 remaining in the first half. Senior captain Phoebe Aaronson (Mountain View, Calif.) received first-year Anna Induni's (Manchester, N.H.) insertion and knocked the ball toward the right goal post, where fellow senior captain Mollee Malboeuf (Fitchburg, Mass.) tipped the ball perfectly into the net for her third goal this season and the eighth of her career.

WPI retook the lead two minutes into the third quarter, on a penalty corner. Eliza Dutson's insertion pass was mishandled at the top of the circle, but WPI maintained control. Mohn sent an entry pass to Robison in front of the MHC goal, and Robison tapped the ball to Abbey Powers, who was left open near the right post for an easy putaway.

The Engineers added an insurance goal late in the quarter, once again on a penalty corner. Robison received the insert pass and dished from the right side of the circle across to Meinhold on the left side, and Meinhold's bouncing shot threaded between the left post and Katzenberg for a 3-1 WPI lead.

Katzenberg finished the game with 10 saves. For WPI, goalkeeper Nini Acquista made one save.

Mount Holyoke next plays a non-conference game at Albertus Magnus in New Haven, Conn., Tuesday at 7pm. WPI will host Wellesley next Saturday at 11am in a NEWMAC contest.